Grab-bucket.



E. E. BROSIUS.

GRAB BUCKET.

APPLICATION HLED DEC. 14, I9l4.

1 168 2'79. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

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E. E. BROSIUS.

GRAB BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, I914.

1,168,279, Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR &. QWAS WITNESSES MMQQW Tm; COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50-, WASHINGTON, n. c

'E. E. BROSIUS.

GRAB BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14. 191.4.

INVENTOR Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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hereinafter more fully described.

PATENT @FFTQE.

EDGAR E. BROSIUS, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAB-BUCKET.

. Application filed December 14, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDGAR E. Buosios, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grab-Buckets, of wnich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation showing the bucket closed. Fig. :2 is a front eleration. Fig. 3 is an end view showing the bucket opened. Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive, are detail views of different parts of the bucketand Figs. 10 and 11 are views correspondin respectively to Figs. 1 and 2, but with some of the parts shown diagrammatically, and Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the closing line and its sheaves.

My invention has relation to grab buckets, and is more particularly adapted to grab buckets of what is known as the scraper type.

An object of my invention is to provide a bucket of this character which, for a given capacity of the bucket will have a maximum spread, or opening movement.

A further object is to provide a bucket which will have a powerful leverage action in closing. Also to provide a bucket in which the parts are of simple construction, and which is strong and durable.

The nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which I have shown the preferred embodiment thereof, and which will now be described, it being premised, however, that various changes can be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings the numerals 2 and 3 designate the two bucket sections or scoops, which are preferably counterparts of each other, being of general U-shape, with open ends. Extending upwardly from the upper edge portion of each end of each bucket section or scoop is a long lever arm 4. These arms may be formed integral with the bucket sections. but are shown as riveted thereto. The bucket sections are also shown as alike Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Serial No. 877,037.

at each end; and when the cutting edge 5 of either section becomes badly worn, the section can be reversed edge for edge by cutting out the rivets 6, turning the section around, and re-riveting. This, of course, greatly extends the effective life of the bucket.

T he upper end portions of the arms 4 of one bucket section are connected by a diagonal link member 7 with the lower portions of the arms 41 of the other bucket section, these connections being made by the floating pins or shafts 8 and 8 The two links are preferably duplicates, so that they may be cast from the same pattern. The right hand link of Figs. 1 and S is shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7. I prefer to make these link members in the form of solid castings, thus giving great strength and also providing for long barrel bearings 7 at the points 9 and 9 where they are connected to the arms 1. In this manner I am enabled to provide for durable connections between the parts which will not rapidly cut out, as is the case where relatively thin plate members are pivoted toether.

Each of the links 7 is shown as having an upper wing 10 and a lower wing 11. The outer edges 12 of these two wings form two sides of a parallelogram, and act as guides in the manner now to be described. Cooperating with these guiding surfaces 12 are four sheaves or wheels 13, l t, 15 and 16. The wheels 13 and 14; are journaled on a pin 17 (see Figs. 4 and 5), which is supported at the upper portion of a yoke 18. This yoke is composed of parallel side plates 18 and 18 as best seen in Figs. 2 and 4, which are shown as spaced from each other at their upper ends by a squared portion 19 on the pin 17. The wheels 15 and 16 are journaled on another pin 20 supported in the lower portion of the yoke. This yoke is placed centrally of the bucket structure and embraces the wings 10 and 11 of both the links 7, the upper guiding surface 12 of one of said wings engaging at the under side thereof the grooved periphery of the wheel 13, and the upper guiding surface of the other link 7 similarly engaging the grooved periphery of the wheel 14. In a similar man nor the lower guiding surface of the lower wing 11 of one link 7 engages at the upper side the grooved periphery of the wheel 14;

and the corresponding guiding surface of the other lower wing engages in like mannerthe wheel 16.

21 and 22 designate two opening members of similar form, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 8. These two members are each of general triangular form. The lower corner or apex of each of these members is loosely pivoted on a short central'pin 23. The upper corner or apex of the member 21 is pivoted at 24 to the extension 25 of the upper wing 10 of the right hand (looking at Fig. 1) link 7; and the upper apex of the member 22 is pivoted at 26 to the similar extension of the wing 10 of the other link. J ournaled at the other angle of each member 21 and 22 is a guide sheave 27. Preferably each member 21 and 22 is provided with a guard 28 (see Fig. 9) for one of these sheaves. Journaled on the lower connecting pins or shafts 8 between the arms 4, at the central bottom part of the link 7 are two sheaves 27.

34: designates a central suspension rod which is connected at its lower end to the pin 23 and which at its upper end is suspended from the crane trolley in any suitable manner, as by the holding ropes 35.

The operation is as follows. The bucket being in the closed position shown in Figs. 1 and 10, will remain closed so long as the closing lines 32 and 33 are held taut. To open the bucket, these lines are slacked and the holding lines 35 take the weight of the bucket and load, thereby raising the pin 23. As this pin moves upwardly, the two opening members 21 and 22 are caused to swing outwardly in opposite directions, the opening member 21 in this movement pulling inwardly on the right hand link 7; and the member 22 exerting a similar pull on the other link. This action pulls inwardly the upper end portions of the bucket arms 1, thereby swinging the bucket sections away from each other until the final open position shown in Figs. 3 and 11 is reached. During this movement the pin or center 23 has moved upwardly in a substantially vertical line until it is slightly below the pin or shaft 17. The two centers 24 and 26 during this action move outwardly from the adjacent positions shown in Figs. 1 and 10 to a horizontal direction through the sheaves 29 and 30 on the shafts 8. As the bucket sections are thus drawn together,'the arms 1 fulcrum on the centers 8 causing the centers 8 to move upwardly and laterally in opposite directions; and through the links 7 the closing movement of each bucket section also exerts a closing action upon the other bucket section. This gives a very powerful closing leverage which is well distributed through long power arms, since there is not only the direct closing pull between the centers 8 ,'but also the leverage action through the links 7. During this closing movement the opening members 21 and 22 swing inwardly and downwardly to their initial positions, the center 23 moving downwardly relatively to the other parts to its initial position.

During the opening and closing movements of the parts, the links 7 are effectively guided by the wheels 13, 1%, l5 and 16 engaging their wings 10 and 11 in the manner before described. This not only steadies the action of the parts, but it also prevents any tendency of one bucket section to move endwise with respect to the other.

It will be noted that the arrangement of the sheaves 29 and 30 is such as to give a block and tackle action; and by increasing or decreasing the number of these sheaves, more or less closing power can be obtained, according to the size of the bucket. For light work a single pair of sheaves may be used, while for heavier work any desired number of pairs may be employed. Fig. 11 also illustrates a slight modification of the invention, the bucket there shown being of the single line automatic type. Instead of the holding lines 35, the bucket is provided with the suspension link 35 adapted for engagement with the usual hook (not shown) on the trolley. The action of this bucket is in all respects the same as that shown in Fig. 10, except that when the bucket reaches the full open position shown in Figs. 3 and 11 the centers 24 and 26 are brought into such relation with the centers 23 that a lock is formed which T prevents the sections from closing. This lock is formed at this time by the fact that, as shown in Fig. 11, the point of attachment 23 of the link 35 is slightly above the members 21 and 22. When, however, the bucket is dropped upon the pile of material to be handled by the bucket a slight further opening movement will result from the contact of the sections with this material as indicated'in dotted lines in Fig. 11. This will release the lock and permit the. bucket sec-. tions to be closed.

It will be noted that there are no fixed centers in the bucket, all the centers being free to move during opening and' closin The construction provides for a very wide opening of the bucket sections with any given capacity of bucket.

It will be noted that the opening action exerted by the opening members 21 and 22 is av toggle action of a powerful nature, the action increasing very rapidly as the bucket sections open and the centers 25 and 25 move outwardly. Y

Another advantage of my invention is that there is very little diiference in the height of the bucket in its openand closed positions. total height when opened need not be more than two feet more than its height when closed. It is therefore unnecessary to ma nipulate-the holding lines 35 in ordinaryoperation of the bucket, since the bucket may be made to swing clear in both its open and closed positions without change in the hold ing lines for the purpose of raising the bucket as it opens.

My invention is equally well adapted to both single and multiple line buckets by slight modifications, such as will be readily apparent to those familiar with these types of buckets. lit will also be obvious that various other changes can be. made in the construction and arrangement of the parts within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections each having upwardly extending substantially parallel lever arms rigidly connected to the sections and a link member connecting the upper portions of the arms of one bucket section with the lower portions of the arms of the other bucket section, said links having their center lines intersecting each other, a sheave journaled between the arms of each bucket section and a closing line engaging said sheaves, substantiallv as described.

2. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections each of which has substantially parallel upwardly extending lever arms, a link member connecting the upper portion of each pair of arms with the lower ortion of the arms of the other bucket section, said levers having their center lines intersecting each other, floating pins or shafts connecting the links to the arms, sheaves journaled on the lower shafts, and a closing line engaging said sheaves, substantiallv as described.

3. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections each having upwardly extending long lever arms, pins or shafts connecting the upper and lower portions of the arms of each bucket section, a link member extending from the lower shaft connection of each Thus in a five-ton bucket the pair of arms to the upper shaft connection of the other pair of arms, a closing line connected to both arms, a central suspension member and two oppositely acting opening members having a pivotal connection with the lower end portion of the suspension member, and also each having a pivotal connection with; one of said link members, substantially as described.

4. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections each having upwardly extending long lever arms, pins or shafts connecting the upper and lower portions of the arms of each bucket section, a link member extending from the lower shaft connection of each pair of arms to the upper shaft connection of the other pair of arms, aclosing line connected to both arms, a central suspension member and two oppositely acting opening members having a pivotal connection with the lower end portion of the suspension member, each link also having a pivotal connection with the upper portion of one of said link members, being the link member which is opposite thereto, substantially as described.

5. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections each having upwardlv extending long lever arms, pins or shafts connecting the upper and lower portions of the arms of each bucket section, a link member extending from the lower shaft connection of each pair of arms to the upper shaft connection of the other pair of arms, a closing line connected to both arms, a central suspension member and two oppositely acting opening members having a pivotal connection with the lower end portion of the suspension member, each opening member also having a pivotal connection with the upper portion of one of said link members, being the link member which is opposite thereto, together with guiding means for the closing line carried by eachof the opening members, substantially as described.

6. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections having upwardly extending long lever arms, a diagonal link connecting the upper portions of the arms of each bucket section with the lower portions of the arms of the other bucket section, the connections between the links and the arms being free or floating connections, each of said links having parallel guiding portions and a yoke embracing said guiding portions and'havin. cooperating guiding means, substantially as described.

7. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections each having parallel upwardly extending long lever arms, floating pins or shafts connecting both the upper and lower portions of each pair of said arms, closing sheaves journaled on the lower pin or shaft connections, a diagonal link connecting the lower shaft connection of one bucket section with the upper shaft connection of the other bucket section, and a yoke embracing the intersecting portions of said links, said yoke and links having cooperating guiding means, substantially as described.

of said links having wings formed with substantially parallel guiding surfaces, a yoke embracing the said wings, and guide wheels journaled on the yoke and engaging said guiding surfaces, substantially as described.

9. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections each having a pair of upwardly extending long lever arms, a diagonal link connecting the upper portions of the lever arms of each bucket section with the lower portions of the arms of the other bucket section, a central suspension member, a pair of opening members pivoted at their lower portions to said suspension member and at their upper portions each having a pivotal connection with one. of said links,-a closing line engaging the said arms and guiding means on the opening members for said line, substantially as described.

10. A grab bucket comprising two bucket sections each having a pair of upwardly extending long lever arms, a diagonal link connecting the upper portion s of the lever arms of each bucket section with the lower portions ofthe arms of the other bucket section, a'central suspension member, two triangular openingmembers pivoted to the said suspension member and arranged at opposite sides of said member, a connection" of the other pair of arms, a closing line connected to both arms, a central suspension member and two oppositely acting opening members having a pivotal connection with the lower end portion of the suspension member, and also each having a pivotal" connection with one of said link members, said opening members acting as a toggle, and operating to lock the bucket sections in opened position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDGAR E. vBROSIUS. Witnesses:

H. M. CoRwIN. I Gno. H. PARMELEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

